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REACTIONS TO THE DRAW AT THE RIAZOR

18 Feb 2014Fernando Vázquez and the players were satisfied with the draw as it came at the last minute. Some of them even think that Deportivo deserved more. Meanwhile, Sporting’s coach was furious with the referee.

Coach Fernando Vázquez said that he was satisfied with the outcome, “Well, when you cannot achieve the three points then to add one is prettier than to add nothing. It is the truth, especially when you achieve the result in the stoppage time. We are satisfied with the result, because we keep Sporting in the distance that it was before. Therefore, no matter we sought for the victory, we must be content with the draw.”

“We were fine in the first part, what happens is that the goals that we allow are always strategic. They claimed the lead and thus changed Sporting’s thoughts and ours too. In the second half I consider that we suffered their counterattacks and, if we would have allowed the 0-2, then the game would have been over, but the game was confusing and sometimes we were too hurried, I accept it.” He added.

The Galician coach didn’t give importance to the fact that the goal of Depor came when the added time was already over, “Well, I wasn’t watching the clock. I don’t know. In any case there were four minutes of added time and the referee has the right to add time during the added time. In any case it’s useless to complain of that. I suffered much more in Gijón of what they suffered on here, and my press conference there was calm.”

El Profesor was explaining the reason for the modifications and the changes in the draw, “We were changing as the score was telling me to do it. The clock and the circumstances were pushing me. Evidently I was searching for punch and the ability to end the plays. Also to avoid the counterattacks of Sporting. The idea was to surround Sporting, because they were too delayed, then to search for the cross or the pass. Probably it was the game in which we put the ball more times inside the area, but without good results.”

He denied that to miss the penalty affected the morale of his players, “No. I believe we reacted in the right way. It was important to tie the game at those stages, but I believe the team continued pushing. You can blame the team for lacking punch and definition, but never that they missed intensity and will to search for Sporting. Maybe it was the game in which we allowed the rival to run the most. I don’t know who scored the goal. I believe it was the spirit of the team; their will to score. They did it at the last minute and it’s good for us.”

Finally, Vázquez talked of Borja Bastón after he was replaced in the second half, “Surely he will feel hurt. He was also whistled and those things are always a thorn for the players. But he’s a young lad, still in a formation process and these are lessons that should help him to grow up and evolve.”

Juan Dominguez was satisfied with the final score, though he would have preferred the victory, “The result tastes like a victory in the sense that it was possible at the last second of the match, so instead of leaving without points you end up with one, just like the opponent. Both sides add the same. But it’s also true that a victory would have been a fair result for us. In some phases we had problems to create game, but we were superior taking in mind the scoring chances that were created, though our best chances came until the end of the game.”

“I believe we would have won the game in case of having more aim, almost without doubt, but evidently you need to have the punch and we didn’t have it, even missed a penalty. We had a few chances through Toché, Salomão and the penalty that we missed. We pressed at the end and they had chances, because we didn’t have people to defend the counterattack. But when the squad was balanced then we were superior in terms of having more scoring chances.” The midfielder added.

Not even the players knew who was the one that scored the equalizer. Toché commented that, “I was doubting when we were on the field. I knew that I touched the ball, but until watching the replay on television I didn’t know that it was me who scored. The important thing is that it was enough to scratch a point and to leave home with another feeling.”

The Murcian attacker was also commenting the bleeding in set-pieces, “We must keep improving defensively. We cannot continue dropping points as it has happened. It’s in our heads that every corner means a sure danger. We must assume the situation with calm. The set-pieces are important at Segunda.”

Goalkeeper Fabricio Agosto didn’t even know who was the one that scored the equalizer, “I don’t know. I just went for everything when I saw the ball coming. I just threw myself and when turned off saw the ball was going in. I felt the euphoria and celebrated the point, because we didn’t deserve to lose this game. I celebrated it as it was mine, but don’t know. I think it hit Toché.”

The Canarian goalie was satisfied with the final score, “It tastes like a victory due to the circumstances in the game. I believe we had the clearest occasions to score and they could have made more damage in the counterattacks, and luckily for us they didn’t do it and thus we got this deserved draw.”

Álex Bergantiños talked after Depor allowed a goal in a corner-kick for the third straight opportunity, “Perhaps there’s an excuse as it was after a rebound, but in the end there are a lot of goals like this one in football. They aren’t scoring against us in normal plays and must try to correct the problems. It was a secondary action.”

He also denied that Depor missed more will during the game, “We were playing against Sporting, don’t forget about that. It seems we are forced to dominate against all the teams, but they are up there and are one of the best teams in the league. They were locked after their goal, therefore we missed fluidity. Still, we had chances. Salomão wasted one opportunity and we locked Sporting at the back. Perhaps we should have created more chances, but it wasn’t because we didn’t try.”

At Sporting Gijón, coach José Ramón Sandoval was pissed off as the referee allowed the goal when the added time was already over and even had a discussion with a reporter, “This isn't handball. The clock cannot be stopped each time the ball goes out. If you want to remain throwing corner-kicks and free-kicks, then it’s fine.”

Still, he was content with the performance of his team, “Sporting was almost perfect. We dominated from start to finish, covering the wings, anticipating the rival and taking the ball at midfield. If we would have seized the counterattacks… We just missed that little step. In any case I’m proud of my team and of the fans.”
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